He was uncompromising when composing his songs. His tactical method of addressing issues was profound and often humorous, making him a unique and effective figure in the French community.
Brassens, born in 1921 in the small Mediterrenean port of Sete, wanted to be a poet. He realized very early however that poetry in the 20th century could hardly put bread on the table and instead set himself to become a singer.
He is much less famous internationally than contemporaries like Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf and Yves Montand, as much of the impact of his songs came from the lyrics, which proved difficult to translate into other languages. He loved the Middle Ages and used a great deal of Old French vocabulary, as well as many classical - ie., Latin and Greek - references. Few people, even in France, possess the background to fully understand his songs.
Yet he was at the same time a hugely popular singer and many of his songs still carry a lot of appeal and relevance. In this sense, he can be compared to Boris Vian, to Jacques Brel, and to a lesser extent to Serge Gainsbourg.
He was very sophisticated, yet at the same time used profanity liberally. While he wasn't politically engaged, he was nevertheless unambiguously a leftist, many of his songs carrying blatant and buoyant anarchist overtones.
While his music was initially quite primitive, the 1950's St-Germain-des-Pres influence quickly made itself felt and while subdued and - in his mind - always secondary to the lyrics, it became increasingly sophisticated - to the point that many of his songs have been covered and reinterpretated by jazzmen (see for instance this UK site: www.projetbrassens.eclipse.co.uk)
He died in 1981, but up to this date (2006) there are few French people - including most of those born since - who can't sing along to his most famous song, Les Copains d'abord ("Friends foremost") or his "Bancs public" ("Public Benches").
For those interested, this site carries a number of (quite good) English tranlations of his songs: www.brassens.org
Le verger du Roi Louis
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La forêt où s'éveille Flore
À des chapelets de pendus
Que le matin caresse et dore
Ce bois sombre, où le chêne arbore
Des grappes de fruits inouïs
Même chez le Turc et le More
C'est le verger du roi Louis
Tous ces pauvres gens morfondus
Roulant des pensées qu'on ignore
Dans des tourbillons éperdus
Voltigent, palpitants encore
Le soleil levant les dévore
Regardez-les, cieux éblouis
Danser dans les feux de l'aurore
C'est le verger du roi Louis
Ces pendus, du diable entendus
Appellent des pendus encore
Tandis qu'aux cieux, d'azur tendus
Où semble luire un météore
La rosée en l'air s'évapore
Un essaim d'oiseaux réjouis
Par-dessus leur tête picore
C'est le verger du roi Louis
Prince, il est un bois que décore
Un tas de pendus enfouis
Dans le doux feuillage sonore
C'est le verger du toi Louis
The song 'Le verger du Roi Louis' by Georges Brassens paints a vivid image of a forest filled with women, referred to as Flore, hanging from trees like chandeliers. The trees, with their large outstretched branches, are dark and filled with clusters of unheard-of fruits that even the Turks and Moors have never seen before. The forest is said to be the orchard of King Louis. The forest is a beautiful sight at dawn, when the sun rises and illuminates the dangling Flore. They spin and whirl in a trance-like dance, lost in thought and feeling. The king's orchard is a place of great mystery and beauty, where the pendulous Flore dance in a living tapestry of light and life.
Brassens appears to be referencing the 16th century King Louis XI's forest of Orleans, which was reportedly filled with fruit trees, and was a place of leisurely recreation for the king and court. The song, therefore, takes on a macabre twist with the imagery of the forest filled with hanging women. It is worth noting that while the image of women hanging from trees may be gory and uncomfortable, it is not used in this instance as a tool for horror, rather to build up the beauty and intrigue of King Louis' orchard.
Line by Line Meaning
Sur ses larges bras étendus
The forest, where Flora awakens, stretches widely
La forêt où s'éveille Flore
The forest where Flora, the goddess of flowers, comes to life
À des chapelets de pendus
At a chain of hanged people
Que le matin caresse et dore
That the morning touches and paints with gold
Ce bois sombre, où le chêne arbore
This dark forest where oak trees display
Des grappes de fruits inouïs
Unheard-of clusters of fruits
Même chez le Turc et le More
Even among the Turks and Moors
C'est le verger du roi Louis
It's the orchard of King Louis
Tous ces pauvres gens morfondus
All these poor people downhearted
Roulant des pensées qu'on ignore
Rolling thoughts that are unknown
Dans des tourbillons éperdus
In wild whirlpools
Voltigent, palpitants encore
Fluttering, still throbbing
Le soleil levant les dévore
The rising sun devours them
Regardez-les, cieux éblouis
Look at them, astonished heavens
Danser dans les feux de l'aurore
Dancing in the fires of dawn
C'est le verger du roi Louis
It's the orchard of King Louis
Ces pendus, du diable entendus
These hanged, understood by the devil
Appellent des pendus encore
Call for more hanged people
Tandis qu'aux cieux, d'azur tendus
While reaching out to the azure skies
Où semble luire un météore
Where a meteor seems to shine
La rosée en l'air s'évapore
The dew evaporates into the air
Un essaim d'oiseaux réjouis
A swarm of joyful birds
Par-dessus leur tête picore
Pecking over their heads
C'est le verger du roi Louis
It's the orchard of King Louis
Prince, il est un bois que décore
Prince, there is a forest decorated by
Un tas de pendus enfouis
A bunch of buried hanged people
Dans le doux feuillage sonore
In the soft rustling foliage
C'est le verger du roi Louis
It's the orchard of King Louis
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Brassens, Theodore De Banville
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rayyane King
Surement une des meilleurs interprétations de notre grand artiste
Claude Fara Musique
Elle est merveilleuse... Amitié, Claude
Paolo Agostini
Grande George Brassens , c'est tre's beau
..merci beacoup!
Claude Fara Musique
Une petite pépite méconnue de notre grand Georges.
ASF
Quand j'ai eu la notif', j'ai cru qu'il étais de nouveau parmi nous...
Paolo Agostini
Grande e simpatico musicista/chansonnier....- merci beaocoup pour cette belle chanson !
Mario Calcagno
E' molto bella.F DeAndre s'e" servito della musica per:
"LA MORTE VERRA'
ALL' IMPROVVISO...
"
Estéban Brémand
A Colors Show